Aloe Vera Love
by DreamSprite
Summary: It wasn't Mark's fault if he got a little possessive when he saw Maddy's lab partner putting the moves on her. Second in my Caveman Mark series.


This Story has been disclaimed

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><p>After a long day standing watch on the gate all Mark wanted to do was pick up Maddy for their date and listen to her babble about the new plant life she had spent hours cataloging. Shouldering his weapon he made his way to the field where the lab team she was a part of were studying the life cycle of a breed of vegetation they suspected were distantly related to the Aloe Vera plants used to treat burns and other inflictions in the future. He spotted their tent in the middle of the field and could see people moving around it in the relaxed yet hurried pace that all scientists seemed to adopt when working. Careful not to step on anything that might be important (the one time he crushed a bean sprout by mistake he thought Maddy was going to use the right hook he taught her) he reached the tent and asked a woman a few years older than himself if she'd seen Maddy. Without looking up from the microscope she answered.<p>

"She's at the North end of the third row with Jake."

The North end turned out to be nearly half a mile from the mobile lab. He was starting to think the woman had sent him the wrong way as a joke when he spotted a bright yellow lump against the never ending sea of green. It wasn't long before the lump turned into Maddy sitting between two rows of waist high aloe plants with an open notebook across her lap. Next to her was a young man with short blond hair who was leaning over to point at something written in the book, he was close enough that their shoulders kept brushing. Mark was about to call out when Jake reached up to wipe some dirt from Maddy's cheek, she was so focused on the notebook he doubted she noticed, he on the other hand did.

"You're a hard woman to find Miss. Shannon."

Both heads snapped up and around at his voice. Jake sprung to his feet as if the ground was hot while Maddy stared at him with a smile that quickly turned into a surprised expression.

"Mark! Is it already five? I'm so sorry I lost track of time. We were just going to check on the spines of the three week old samples when Jake spotted yellow discolorations on the leaves of the Arborescens and at first we thought it was a fungus or even a form of blight but when we tested for both the results came back negative."

Her voice raised an octave higher and her smile grew even wider in clear excitement. She went to stand and simultaneously Jake and Mark offered their hands to help her up. Mark was rather pleased when she took hold of his.

"It's a completely new strand! A cross between the Arborescence from this field and a Barbadensis breed from a completely different section."

Dusting off her pants she gathered up her notebook to show him the sketch she had been making of the plant. As she continued explaining the possible medical uses Mark slung his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jake stiffen and suppressed a grin.

"How about you, anything exciting happen?"

"Not really, a few brachiosaurs were spotted by the wall. I think word got around about your sister feeding them."

Maddy laughed at his joke, brushing a lock of hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear and leaving a streak of dirt across her cheek as she did so. Pulling his arm from around her Mark ran his thumb over to smudge to clean it off, smirking to himself at how uncomfortable Jake looked. With all the equipment packed and the hybrid plant safely transplanted into a sample box they started back towards the mobile lab. With Maddy's dirt covered fingers entwined with his the distance didn't seem as far. When they reached the tent she immediately took the plant that he had been carrying for her and went to find the lead scientist to show their discovery. Jake hung back, shifting from one foot to the other.

"So, you and Maddy?"

"Yes."

He took his eyes off Maddy long enough to fix his best 'soldier stare' on the young man next to him. He was rather proud of the way Jake flinched. An awkward silence filled the air and he had the feeling the other man's fight or flight response was about to make itself known.

"John's calling me, I'll see you around."

It took all his will power not to chuckle at the retreating back.

"Where'd Jake go?"

Maddy appeared at his side with her bag thrown over her shoulder.

"Someone needed him, how do Xip-kebabs sound for dinner?"

He offered his arm with a charming smile and led her away as she continued talking about the new hybrid and all the possible uses. He couldn't have been happier.


End file.
